Cloud communications refer to the contact methods implementing internet connections instead of the standard PSTN. When you implement this technology in your business, every message you send, video conference you host, and other conversations all work because of cloud-hosted technology.
The advantage of business cloud communications is that you don't need hardware to install physical lines in your building, among others. This gives you a chance to have enhanced scalability that diversifies your communication strategy.
Moreover, cloud communication is more than the IP telephone or hosted PBX (News - Alert). This is the recent technology that can build, deploy and manage your communication systems. When used correctly, cloud communication helps reduce costs, get high-definition services and advanced features for empowering the team.
To help you have a better understanding of cloud communication, read this ultimate guide.
Overview of Cloud Communication
The modern workforce has continued to grow increasingly mobile. Cloud communication breaks the chains between the desks and employees.
A study at Upwork revealed most employees didn't have working policies to support remote working. Cloud communications help to solve this problem. It provides your staff with essential tools and apps on the same platform they can use in any location or device.
Moreover, the cloud transforms the working environment from the traditional form to more empowering tools and ideals. Therefore, your business can now provide the employees with instant access to the following:
- File sharing
- Call analytics tools
- Calendaring and scheduling
- Video conferencing facilities
- Instant messaging
- Analytics and Digital Engagement
Cloud can hold a lot of data from different backgrounds, making it an ideal option for analytics. Moreover, this also helps your business to grow tremendously.
Remember that in the current market, customer experience is key to your success. With cloud communications, it will be easier for you to improve on the impact you have on your clients. This is done through a wide selection of channels.
When you integrate real-time communications, it plays a vital role in the core business processes. You can therefore integrate cloud communication services with CRM software to get a deeper insight. The current cloud communication services will integrate with AI services, smart bots, and machine learning.
- Contact Center Features
Cloud communication is scalable and versatile. This makes it perfect for a contact center.
An average call center will look for higher levels of turnover; however, the presence of a cloud-based portfolio with essential tools in your business will ensure you don't spend much of your time setting the employees with the right tools. It will be easy to scale your workforce and onboard new staff according to spikes, all without additional costs.
Moreover, the cloud can allow your business to have contact centers expand because it gives you multiple channels for communication. This makes you easily provide answers to your customers through their best platforms.
This is another way for your brand to stand out through this experience-powered world.
Choosing The Right Service Provider
We live in a cluttered space; therefore, choosing the right cloud communication is a hassle. To ensure you have the right company, read these tips.
- Check for Certifications and Standards
You have to ensure you choose the right service provider. The first thing to consider is certification and standards. A reputable and reliable service provider should be certified by a relevant organization. This could be one way to pick a service provider from a vast market.
Remember that there are countless players in the market, and the right thing is to find a solution working best for you. So, the provider should comply with standards and quality frameworks.
- Security and Data Governance
Nowadays, data management is essential than before. However, your cloud communication strategy involves uploading, storing, and managing a higher amount of data each day. You, therefore, have to ensure your data is safe by picking a service provider who provides security of your data.
Look at the opportunities you have while managing your data from different service providers and how they can help you with regulatory standards.
Perhaps you have specific requirements such as HIPAA and healthcare; you have to explore your options too.
- Innovation Roadmap
You have to ensure that your CSP (News - Alert) has been certified. After that, ensure their research and development roadmap will meet your cloud objectives.
The right company should be devoted to constant innovation and deliverance of new solutions to the customers.
The biggest advantages you could get from the cloud are scalability and flexibility. These benefits can easily help you maintain your agile business. However, your business can only be agile when choosing the right provider, offering you tangible outcomes for both customers and teams.
- Simple and Ease of Use
If you want to adopt a new communication strategy, you must ensure you can drive the adoption to success. Remember that even the most reliable or feature-rich solution struggles to deliver benefits when you don't use it.
You need a cloud communication service provider who can provide your business with rich and robust cloud-based features. These features should be easy to use and explore.
In addition, you should be aware of what it will cost you to scale your strategies, make use of most services, and request new features.
Depending on the providers, some can offer you a free account to test their services before production.
- Reliability and high-quality services
Lastly, reliability and the high service quality of the service provider are two essential components. These are things to keep in mind before hiring a service provider.
You need a cloud to achieve your goals, but the processes are critical. That's the reason you will not need a problem or outage that can disrupt your performance.
So, before you make the final decision with the service provider, you should check their service availability record from previous years. Look whether there is information about redundancy options.
Conclusion
Cloud communication is essential for your business. It provides scalability and flexibility. However, these benefits are realized by having the right service provider.
